Airbnb launches photo-centric app for iPads and Android tablets

 

Share Tweet

IMAGE:

Airbnb's app is getting a little more travel-friendly.

The company will roll out a new version of the app for iPad and Android tablet users Wednesday night, the first time Airbnb has had a dedicated app for larger mobile displays.

Feature-wise, the tablet app isn't much different than the existing smartphone apps. Users can browse and book listings, contact hosts, get directions or check for last-minute rentals. It also has a dedicated host experience, so hosts can manage their listings and respond to messages.

Alex Schleifer, Airbnb's design chief, said the look of the image-focused tablet app is meant to be reminiscent of a magazine spread or coffee table book with big glossy photos.

"We wanted to focus on photography ... it's a tremendously large catalog that we have," Schleifer told Mashable. "We know that people explore cities through the photos of our homes so we wanted the tablet to really make this front and center. "

IMAGE: AIRBNB

This is evident throughout the app. The home screen, for example, features high-resolution photos of popular destinations while search results emphasize photos first. Similarly, swiping left from the map view of search results displays photos of listings in a grid of images.

Mobile is an increasingly important area for Airbnb: The company says two-thirds of all bookings have "some sort of mobile component," a number that jumps to 80% for last-minute bookings.

The tablet app is iPad and Android only for now, though Schleifer didn't entirely discount the possibility of a Windows version in the future. He also said an app for the Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatches is possible.

"What we will never do is just launching something for the sake of it and it's really hard to see the benefits that we can add to it until something is out in market," he said. "We're definitely looking at the Apple Watch, as we should. How can this bring value to our hosts and our guests, that's the way we look at it first."

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

8 Free Apps To Monitor Your Kids’ Smartphones Activities On Android

1. Kids Place – Parental Control

Kids Place is a comprehensive parental control app. Some of its handy attributes include a customized home screen showcasing approved apps only, the ability to prevent your child from downloading or buying new apps as well as a time feature to specify a schedule for using the smartphone.

On top of that, it’s also capable of blocking incoming calls and disabling all wireless signals. When you install and use the app for the first time, you have to first set a PIN for security purposes. [Get it here]

2. KuuKla Parental Control

KuuKla Parental Control App helps you tailor your Android device into one which is suitable for your child. It gives you the opportunity to select the applications that you want to appear for use on the home screen whiledisabling access to all other applications. It also allows you to define a schedule for using apps and the Internet on the smartphone.

Once you’ve download the app and registered your email address, a PIN code will be sent to the email address provided which can only be used by you to control the device. [Get it here]

3. Abeona – Parental Control & Device Monitor

The Abeona app actually comes with a complementary app called Device Monitor. Abeona – Parental Control allows parents to monitor the mobile apps usage of their child, view call logs and check whether the device of child is online or offline among other things.

The Device Monitor app must be installed on the child’s device in order for the parent to receive reports of device usage and location. The app is great for use on multiple devices, for instance if you need to get reports from multiple Android smartphones or tablets, all at once. [Get them here and here]

4. SecureTeen Parental Control

Worried about your teen being exposed to mature or adult content online? Try SecureTeen Parental Control which can filter out most if not all adult content. SecureTeen allows you to monitor your children’s online activities, applications they download and their location.

If you don’t like an app that’s installed on your child’s phone then SecureTeen allows you to shut it down, even if it’s still installed. SecureTeen can be managed remotely online by logging into the website. [Get it here]

5. Screen Time Parental Control

As the name indicates, Screen Time is a helpful app which lets you manage how much ‘screen time’ your kids get. The key features of Screen Time includes blocking different apps according to the time.

For example, you can block only games at bed time but still allow readings apps then choose to block all apps when it’s time for lights out. Screen Time also allows you to set a daily time limit on the apps you want to restrict access to. [Get it here]

6. Kids Zone Parental Controls

Kids Zone is another handy parental control app. The chore mode gives you the capability to set a time limit that determines when your child can use the smartphone.

Other notable features include relocking the device after rebooting, blocking phone calls as well as text messages and Internet access, blocking apps installation and in-app purchasing, and various other features. [Get it here]

7. Parental Control Board

The Parental Control Board app helps monitor, manage and track a child’s activities on a mobile phone. It can monitor a list of all installed apps on the phone and you can even restrict some of them such as YouTube or Google Play, if you need to. Get the precise location of your child at any time and control and see all call logs and SMS that goes through their phone.

One of the useful things that this app has is the ability for parents to setup black lists and white lists of phone numbers for incoming/outgoing calls and messages. [Get it here]

8. Norton Family Parental Control

This Norton Family Parental Control app allows you to see which websites are visited by your child. You can also restrict access to pornographic and inappropriate websites and can setup email alerts that notify you whenever your child attempts to do something that he/she shouldn’t.

If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, you can get the premium version which lets you view logs of text messages, monitor the apps downloaded by your child and even block some of those apps amongst various other features. [Get it here]